Love Story

Aileen and Carl were introduced to each other by a common friend, and they started hanging out with the same circle of friends. The group was a tight-knit one, that Aileen and Carl even called each other "tsong." Little did the two know that their special bond would later on bloom into a romantic relationship--Aileen and Carl later on realized that they had feelings for each other, and took it from there.

Aileen and Carl's history as friends allowed them to forge a strong relationship. On their fifth year together, Carl decided to take their relationship to the next level. While they were on a trip to Laiya, Batangas, he asked Aileen to come with him to the shore. Aileen found the request odd, since the sun was high up at 2p.m.

When they got to a wide patch of sand, Aileen found the words "Aileen will you marry me?" written on the shore. Carl knelt down and started to cry, while Aileen was so overwhelmed that she couldn't stop laughing. When she had laughed to her heart's content, she finally wrote her answer on the sand: "Yes!!!".

Wedding Preparations

Aileen and Carl had a chic beach wedding in Calatagan, Batangas. The couple had a solemn ceremony, and then allowed their guests to let their hair down at their reception by the beach.

To make their beach wedding even more charming, the couple--with the help of their families-took on DIY projects. Their missalettes, ceremony accessories, and even the souvenirs were all labors of love.

The couple knew that planning a destination wedding was extra challenging, but that didn't stop them from going after what they want. "Destination weddings are a lot of fun but it's a lot of work as well, so be prepared to put in more hours, gas, toll, food budget than usual," shares the groom. The couple dealt with the pressure by enlisting help from the people around them "Don't hesitate to ask for help. Involve your close friends and relatives. A pair of extra hand will do wonders; imagine what a couple more of them could do," Carl adds.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

Aileen and Carl did all they could to plan a smooth-sailing affair, but they admit that there's so much more to the big day than having a glitch-free celebration. "No matter how successful or palpak the wedding goes, just remember to enjoy every minute of it. Don't get caught up in the details. Its your day, its your time, so just have fun and enjoy the day with your partner," the groom says.